HuangShan – the Sea of Clouds

Many readers / blogging friends thought I have travelled everywhere. The truth is that the more you travelled, the more you realize that there are many places that you haven’t visited.

HuangShan in China is a place where I have never visited.

My classmate in Chinese Calligraphy, Mr. Chung Kwok Fan, was there just last week.

The photos he showed us were some of the best I have ever seen of HuangShan.

Basically, he was several thousand feet above sea level and viewing down the clouds and mountains below him.

It was just like a Chinese painting! Not just any painting, but a painting by a master.

The view is just surreal.

Mr. Chung has kindly agreed to my posting of this great photo.

Do you think this image warrant submitting to the National Geographic?

For those who would like to know more about HuangShan, below is an introduction from Wikipedia:

Huangshan ( literally: “Yellow Mountain”), is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China. The range is composed of material that was uplifted from an ancient sea during the Mesozoic era, 100 million years ago. The mountains themselves were carved by glaciers during the Quaternary. Vegetation on the range is thickest below 1,100 meters (3,600 ft), with trees growing up to the treeline at 1,800 meters (5,900 ft).

The area is well known for its scenery, sunsets, peculiarly shaped granite peaks, Huangshan Pine trees, and views of the clouds from above. Huangshan is a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature, as well as modern photography. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of China’s major tourist destinations.

Unbelievable! This is (totally) like old chinese (or for that matter Japanese) mountain paintings. Beautiful. Thanks Michael. I could spend a couple of hours meditating, or mulling, or musing in that very spot…
Take care
Brian

You are right. Great image. Transcendent image.
Before you submit it, I think that the rock face at the forefront should have more light and definition … find out HOW you submit and then at worst they will not accept it. But I think there may be a fee to be paid for submitting…Check their website. Cheers. V.

HI Michael,
The pictures are definitely worthy of National Geographic. The terrain suggests a lot of seismic activity. The way the mountains are thrust upwards so violently implies to me they are not an old range of mountains, but probably very new? It would be nice to know the geological history of the area.
Leslie

Breathtaking view – amazing and beautiful 🙂 We live on a hill and at some times of year we see over the tops of clouds that are low in the valley early in the morning … it is a strange experience … but not in the same league as Huang Shan! Wonderful photo and fascinating place – thank you for sharing 🙂

it is a truly extraordinary photo. You should go see it in person! I agree with all the NG comments. I do not see myself making such a trip, or visiting many of the places you photograph and share, so thank you for taking me to place I may never see. We have a different kind of magnificence in the USA, but I think it not the same as the geography in your area of the world. Thank you for reading my blog posts! You can see my photography is not up to your level.

Hi, I will visit there before I am getting too old. Every geography have different beautiful sceneries, those in the US are as good as anywhere else. I have just restarted picking up photography after retirement – there are just so many things to learn! Regards, Michael

Last week I visited the Chinese Garden here in Portland Oregon, they had bonsai in what looked like a miniature Huangshan, and I said “they need to use dry ice to make the clouds”. After viewing your friend’s magical photo I wish even more to see it myself some day. Send my congratulations to your friend for a marvelous picture.

I have shared this with my students of feng shui so they may see for themselves the inspiring, almost surreal geography of China’s landscape. I live on a coastal plain and this image is literally “other-worldly” for those who have never seen such lands. Your eye and effort to share this is appreciated. It is in lands like this the Dragon lives. 😀

Your friend Mr. Chung has an artists eye as well as you! This is stunning, and I hope you submit it to National Geographic! I’m so glad I found your blog site. Hopefully these comments will change his mind..

Michael this is a feast for my eyes, thank for this photo.
Your words say it all except where can I see more of his art?
Your friend in calligraphy has kept the magic seen in a Chinese ink painting.
An art form I admire and so enjoy.
Mountains floating in clouds Ying Ke Pines. _/\_

“Just, wordless”…It looks surreal, but it is real….”Soothes out new vitality from the seeds of greatness in scripted on our soul, pushing up, for new DNA upgraded versions” …looks unreal…., but it is really real……,and suddenly…, the “Amazing Grace” beautiful melody inundated the brain area of my ears, laying out some unhidden meaningful words, and unfolding analogies …,and my whole spiritual body bended to the floor over my knees…..the wave kept pulsing, with a smooth flight into my queue of memories, and fraises came out honoring the “Amazing View” …….
It is said by neuroscientist: …..”more connections mean more effective learning”….so…besides all the stimulations on visual, speech, hearing and movement areas of the Brain, there goes the electric pulse, touching yet many zones….,and as always I have to introduce more people……, to “my precious treasure, “Box of Chinese wisdom cookies”…, and look what they say “this time”:….”The real meaning of enlightenment is to gaze with undimmed eyes on all undimmed”…., and another one of them says:…”Real is all a vision. You have to see it for yourself”.
Thank You Mr. Lai, again, and for your friend Mr. Chung’s incredible ability on capturing the perfect angle for this suggestive “Photo”. “Thank You”.

Was a mystical, a spiritual experience. The photo is a pretty good one, so I took advantages of it, and just thought that was standing in front of it, and couldn’t avoid “the reverence” I felt to the greatness of God’s “creation”.

Well, may be was not very accurate to “say” that was completely mystical, but may be several levels before that some when closer one day, ha!…ha!. And , yes, I think that many of my friend, would like to see your site. Thank you for it.